An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Agatha Raisin Mysteries Book 22)

sorry to go against all of the good reviews but i dont think that the three last agatha raisin books are of the same quality of the earlier ones. there seems to be less character development and much less humor in these for some reason. i remember actually laughing out loud in the first few in this series--- the parts with the boggles and the pub bathroom sink fiasco in one of the earlier books--hilarious....the latest ones just dont do it for me. seems to be alot of the same old same old. beaton needs to come up with something fresh for her next one.

Shame, shame, shame on Ms. Chesney's (MC Beaton's) editors. I like a light read, and enjoy the characters in the Agatha Raisin series. I've read them all. As the Pig Turns, though, made me wonder if something had happened to the author and someone else started writing in her place. Someone completely unobservant. A new, quite likeable character, Simon Black, was introduced in the previous book, Busy Body, and it was a major part of his character development that his parents had died, leaving him nothing but debts. He was an intelligent, intuitive, thoughtful character. In As the Pig Turns he is seemingly written out in the beginning of the story and when he re-emerges, his personality is depicted totally differently than in the first book, and the plot has him being rescued by his over-indulgent, wealthy, ALIVE parents. WTH?? The book in general is written very choppily and very sloppily, and may be because the wonderful author is getting on in years, but what excuse do her editor's have? Earn your keep and be familiar with the series you're editing.

Another formulaic toss-off by MC Beaton called "As the Pig Turns." Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, when they first appeared, were a breath of fresh air, and a lot of fun to read; British, humorous, and crabby. Beaton's gotten rather lazy in the last several years; between this series and the equally brilliantly-begun Hamish MacBeth series, Beaton's writing reads more like a junior high schooler's outline of a story, with dialogue thrown in as a patchwork to hopefully sew it all back together.

If this truly has been an issue with her books for several years, why do I keep coming back? Because, with a year between books, I tend to forget how miserably written they've become. It's like being away from Chicken McNuggets for a year, eating only healthy, whole foods. Suddenly, there before you, is a box of McNuggets; they smell good, they look good, the mouth waters...

I guess I would recommend the first five or six books in the series for anyone who likes light, humorous detective stories, but put yourself on a lifestyle change immediately after that sixth book. No more McNugget books!

As the Pig Turns is one of more than twenty murder mysteries by British mystery writer M.C. Beaton, featuring Agatha Raisin. Raisin, who has a detective agency, is in her mid-fifties, drinks, smokes, is rude to people and has been married and divorced twice. And those are just her good qualities! The plot in this novel begins when Agatha goes to a pig roast. The pig, however, turns out to be the body of a man with a pig’s head sewn on. The man turns out to be a policeman who gave Agatha a ticket and she responded by saying that she hoped he roasted on a spit. The plot thickens as Agatha is hired by the wife of the deceased to get to the bottom of the case. Members of her agency get involved, as does one of her ex-husbands. The plot stalls as more characters than the reader can keep track of wander in and out of the story until it finally comes to a somewhat predictable end. A sub-plot involving a young woman who works for Raisin’s agency also comes into play.

Beaton’s Agatha Raisin books have been highly popular. This one is the first that I have read. I found it to be boring and filled with too many characters. Moreover, Mrs. Raisin is not a very likable character in my view. I suggest that you read one of the Raisin books and judge for yourself.

I have been a fan of Agatha Raisin for many years. I found this latest book to be disappointing.
The characterization isn't developed. There are too many flat characters who act with little thought. One of the more enjoyable aspects of the series was Agatha's self-reflections. These insights into her thoughts are now minimal or non-existent. Too much emphasis is given to many minor characters who have no true personalities. Charles and James enter and exit with little reason.

The plot seems very threadbare. For example, why was it even mentioned that Mrs. Bloxby's husband could be cheating? Instead of developing that plot twist a bit, it was solved within two pages. I would think that that idea could have been developed into a full novel.

Agatha Raisin is a wonderful character. She deserves better treatment.

...a bite or so seems like a great idea and then you've eaten far too much and feel sick. Like other Agatha Raisin and Hamish McBeth mysteries, this one is easy to read but even more fun to make fun of. The writing is astonishingly poor, with two or three cliches overused throughout (Agatha's "small, bear-like eyes" for one), and characters never exclaim, declare, shout, yell, shriek, burst out, or cry: they always "howl". There is a flight from London to Las Vegas, which apparently takes about half an hour and seems like a complete plot detour, perhaps for the purpose of the author writing off a trip as "research"?The central murder is horrific, the sort of thing that would be gain international notoriety, and yet none of the villagers seem particularly astonished, horrified, or upset by its proximity. Each character is a compilation of uniquely loathsome traits, yet by the end the reader cannot help but admire the author's intrepidness in churning them out: there are over 50 MC Beaton mysteries. You'll read it to the end and ask yourself why, but you'll forget and find one on the subway or abandoned in a waiting room and off you'll go, only to wonder again what terrible karmic event thrust MC Beaton into the canon of British mystery writers. Enjoy!

I am convinced that MC Beaton does not use a plotting outline when she sits down to writer her books in the Agatha Raisin series. Any book that begins with Mrs. Bloxby convinced that her husband is having an affair, an idea that is never revisited, and ends with the Bulgarian mafia, leaves the reader wondering if there is any pre-thought or just the ramblings of a bored writer.

The Agatha Raisin series is one that I revisit often since there is no deep thought needed to get through them. The same characters are in every book; the plotline, though convoluted, is easy to follow and the reader does not have to invest too deeply to get to the end.

Slightly bored with her detective agency, Agatha gathers a group of her friends to visit Winter Parva a local Cotswold village. The group gathers around a pig roasting only to hear Agatha exclaim, "Pigs don't have tattoos". Thus begins Agatha latest adventure when it is discovered that the pig roasting is a much disliked police officer.

Add in an ex-wife, cosmetic surgery, leather goods, errant boyfriends back from the army, a cancelled wedding, Charles having more feelings that he likes for Agatha, James not liking the idea that Agatha might actually be over him. In addition, Toni trying to find a new job, Bill Wong not sure that he should date someone within the police force, stolen farm equipment, and a new gardener.

Really, the stuff that was thrown into this less than 300 page book is mindboggling.

You have to take Agatha Raisin with a grain of salt (I just love some of those old idioms) and realize that they are not literature, but a way to spend a few hours away from your own realities.

As the Pig Turns is the 22nd book in the Agatha Raisin series. Agatha, Roy and Charles travel to a nearby village called Winter Parva for their village festival. When they arrive, Agatha notices the pig roasting on the spit has a heart tattoo with the name of Amy written in. It turns out to be the part of the body of a human.

Agatha and her detective agency get involved in unraveling the mystery. This causes Agatha and her employees to be in danger from the murderer who does not want Agatha involved in the investigation. Several employees are put in peril and Agatha also receives a gruesome threat in the mail.

I have read all prior Agatha books up to this book. The first books in the series have been the most fun or entertaining. I did find this book for me to be an improvement over the two previous books-There Goes the Bride and Busy Body. Agatha Raisin is one of my favorite fictional characters so I have continued with the series.

All the secondary characters make an appearance. They are always worked in even if Agatha is in an exotic location. If Agatha won a trip to the moon, they would all show up somehow. Even Rev Bloxby and Bill Wong's parents would be written in. I do like the characters but feel they do not need to make an appearance in every book especially if the book's location is outside the Cotwolds. This book did take place in Carsely which is Agatha's home area. Mrs Bloxby and Bill Wong are my favorite secondary characters.

I continue with the series because of Agatha. It is a relaxing, humorous and fast read.

Amid the cold weather Agatha Raisin is trying to find something fun to do when she sees that a neighbouring town is having an old-fashioned pig roasting. Agatha, together with Roy Silver, who is visiting from London, and several other neighbours in Carsley, attend the pig roasting. However the last thing they expect to see is a human roasting instead of a pig!! Agatha, with her detective team, look out to discover the identity of the human and find out who murdered him.

I absolutely love Agatha Raisin. She's one of my favorite female sleuths (second only to Miss Marple) and her adventures never fail to amuse me. Her latest in "As the Pig Turns" is no different.

I really liked the twist of the roasted human (albeit with a pig head sewn on) in this mystery. This bizarre murder concept left the police and Agatha trying to figure out who the victim was, before they could even try to solve the mystery. It seems like Agatha and her team have her work cut out for them as they set about to solve the mystery, and I couldn't piece it together before they could either.

Part of the reason I like Agatha Raisin is her sheer determination and it shines through in this adventure. She's not willing to let this case go unsolved, even when her life is in danger.

All my favorites were in this mystery, trying to help Agatha. Including James, her ex-husband, and Charles, who Agatha has had a on-and-off romance with in the past. With a hint of more adventure and maybe even some romance at the end of As the Pig Turns I definitely will be picking up the next book in this series to find out what happens next.

As The Pig Turns, Simon's parents are alive and well and now Simon is a spoiled rich kid?
Busy Body, page 145, Simon Blacks parents are dead, died in a car crash the year before leaving Simon in debt.
Can anyone explain that plot line?

As The Pig Turns, page 198 Simon finds out his finance had an abortion, but later on in the book she was never pregnant? Unless she meant that she lied about not being pregnant anymore?

Also..Charles Fraith in one book is tricked into marriage stating she was pregnant and then we find out she wasn't pregnant and then next book he mentions he has visiting rights to his kids. Which is it? Kids or no kids?

I thoroughly enjoy M C Beaton's books... I just wish there would be more attention to detail with plot lines. Also, Mrs. Bloxbly thinks her husband Alf is having an affair? This plot line is done in less than two pages. A lot of things happen in this book, way too much for one book. Putting too much into one book.

I loved this book!! M.C. Beaton knits the events of the story ever so well! I like the interaction between the characters, as there seems to be a friendship that has begun to mature between them. Great character development.... this can be seen between Charles and James (once rivals), who now respect each other... and the entire detective agency, along with Charles, Roy and James who have each others backs and are all on the same team. Love the team work and the growth and development there. M.C. Beaton is a fabulous writer!! I am an Agatha Raisin ADDICT and hope she never stops writing these books. They are truly sensational and the plots are well done too. Very good Ms. Beaton! You are wonderful!!

I have read every book in the Agatha raisin series and I quite agree with others reviewers who say Beaton has been slacking off in recent books. There is the same filler in every book, "her beady eyes and glossy brown hair, Roy Silver as kooky as ever, Bill Wong still living with his mom, James, who finds Agatha aggravating but seems to show up whenever trouble arises. Mrs Bloxby (we always address each other by second names) This series should end. Beaton has nowhere new to take these characters. I did enjoy the earlier 15 or so books and found the main character likable, but now I feel I'm wasting my time.

Originally reviewed at: [...]
Rating: 3 out of 5 biscuits

The Agatha Raisin series was recommended to me by many of my bookish friends, so naturally, I had to find out what the hype was about. When I first read the synopsis, I was expecting something along the lines of a modern day Miss Marple or the female version of Sherlock Holmes, but that's where I was wrong. M.C. Beaton's series, in fact, is quite different from both Doyle's and Christie's novels. Did I still enjoy it? I would say yes.

To be frank, I haven't read any of Beaton's previous books in the series but I had no difficulties with getting into the story whatsoever. As The Pig Turns is the 22nd instalment but don't be put off if you haven't read any Agatha Raisin books before - you'll be able to figure out who's who soon enough. Agatha Raisin is a middle-aged woman with a nicotine addiction and a penchant for swearing, and being disagreeable. Even though I was expecting something entirely different and it took me some time to actually get to know and like her, I managed to warm to her after a while. Even though she has a reputation for her 'stiff upper lip', you cannot help noticing that there's a more vulnerable side to her and despite the fact that she deals with murder on a daily basis, she's still as frightened as we are.

As much as I'd like to say it was a fantastic read, there's still a few things I think this book is lacking. As far as the characters are concerned, it's great. As far as the plot is concerned, it's not so great. What I missed the most was details. I love the fact that the book is fast paced but most of the time I felt like we were flying through a lot of details that might have been important for us readers. We don't know what goes on in Agatha's mind and we're not given any clues by the police either. Forget everything you've read in Christie's novels, from lengthy explanations to detailed crime scenes and investigations - this book is definitely not like that. Maybe it's just the Christie fan in me that says this but I think this book could have been so much better if it was more focused on details. What I love the most about mysteries is the fact that readers are part of the investigation process. You get a chance to guess who the murderer might be or what the motive might have been - and in many cases, the book just keeps you guessing right until the end. As for As The Pig Turns, however, I didn't have this feeling at all and now that I know what happens, I don't think anyone could have guessed what was going on or who might be the one to blame.

Other than that, I think you should give this series a try if you like fast paced mysteries. The characters will really grow on you along the way and you'll find yourself breezing through the story as Agatha and her staff are faced with different obstacles and enemies each day. Even though it was slightly less detailed than I would have liked it to be, all in all it was an exciting read.

Agatha Raisin seems to be attracting misfortune when she comes across the same officious policeman twice in a very short space of time. When she lets off steam in the village shop by suggesting that the best fate for said policeman would be roasting on a spit until done she little thinks her angry words will come back to haunt her. She decides to take a party of people to a nearby village where they are holding a hog roast. Unfortunately it seems the pig is none other than the officious policeman when Agatha spots a tattoo on the `pig's' leg.

The police get to hear about Agatha's angry words and she is soon lined up as first suspect. What follows is a misguided but enthusiastic attempt by Agatha herself and the staff of her detective agency to clear her name and find the real murderer putting themselves in real danger in the process. Agatha's former husband, James and friends Roy and Charles are soon embroiled.

I really enjoyed this latest instalment in the Agatha Raisin series. The plot is darker than some and quite frightening in places and it kept me reading over two evenings as I really wanted to know what happened and who exactly was involved in what nefarious goings on. All the usual series characters feature including Toni and Patrick at the detective agency and long suffering vicar's wife, Mrs Bloxby who is having an uncharacteristic meltdown.

I have read many of M. C. Beaton's books in this series and have enjoyed all of them with their satire and amusing stories and mysteries itself. But this book didn't meet the criteria that I look for. I didn't find that the story held to the original with details, and that there were many lose ends to contend with but in general the story was funny and witty and enjoyable. If this is the first of all of the books in this series that you read, make sure to read others, as this one is not typical of her work and this story. If you need a few laughs, this book is fine, but to depend on the continuation of a story to be accurate, then don't rely on this book. I love this series as I mentioned, just not this book.

I love love love the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton. There is no better way to while away an afternoon than with Agatha Raisin. Agatha is a loud, brash, overwhelming but endearing middle aged British woman who happens to constantly stumble across murders and mysteries. She lives in the quiet bucolic Cotswold area in a lovely cottage with her two pet cats...who really do love her. She has stumbled across and solved so many mysteries that she opened up her own detective agency.

Agatha thinks she is not loved and her pursuits of love (with all types of unsuitable men of course) always bring about the funniest situations and best laughs. Agatha has actually created a great circle of friends and people that love her in her village and in her detective agency. An outing with some of them to Winter Parva and her discovery that the roast pig is not a pig but a dead male body sets them off on a great adventure.

This adventure of Agatha Raisin is the 22nd in the series. I cannot recommend this entire series enough and I really really recommend that you read it from the beginning. It is in my opinion one of the best cozy mystery series out there. I am already looking forward to the next adventure of Agatha, Charles, Toni, and James.

The acerbic Cotswold detective Agatha Raisin has been accused of many things, but they are usually associated with her being short-tempered, sharp-tongued and eccentric. Now she's accused of murder, all because of being served a ticket by the village's most unpopular police officer for blowing her nose in her car in a line of traffic. Officer Gary Beech, whose attitude exceeds Agatha at her worst, had already irked several other local residents, and he confronted Agatha on a bad day. A few days later, he ticketed her a second time for going two miles over the speed limit, which caused her to stomp into a village shop and announce to one and all, "I'd like to kill him! May he roast slowly over a spit in hell!"

The following weekend at the annual village pig roast, Agatha was standing near the barbeque pit when the grill was opened. She did a double take when she saw the main course, slowly roasting on a spit with the tattoo of a heart and the name "Amy" printed on the haunch. It looked less like a pig than a human body, sans head and legs, with a pig's head sewn carefully in place.

And so begins another Agatha Raisin mystery, complete with her quirky house guests, ex-boyfriends and ex-husband, tenuous friendships with neighbors, employees, snooty members of the women's club and the local police force. Most of her income comes from staking out philandering husbands or tracking down minor thieves. When she does snag a bona-fide murder or large theft, she's usually the detective, not the suspect, and glad of the challenge. She quickly proved that although she, along with about half the village, would cheerfully have murdered Officer Beech, she had a perfectly good alibi.

The "Amy" of the tattoo on the murdered man turns out to be the victim's widow, and she hires Agatha to find the killer. Agatha and her team of private investigators set out to solve a crime that becomes much bigger and more serious than anyone, including the local police, had imagined.

M.C. Beaton is as curt and brief on words as her character. She is as to-the-point in her writing as Agatha is in her crime solving, and as an author can be counted on to cut to the chase. No frilly décor descriptions or long, psychological musings on motive or personal appearance. Her characters dress for the weather, not for fashion, and her spare and witty dialogue moves the story along at a page-turning pace.

AS THE PIG TURNS is a quick, lively read. If you haven't yet experienced the prickly and amusing Agatha Raisin, these crisp fall weekends are just the time to curl up with a cozy murder mystery with a kick.

Reviewed by Roz Shea

I love Agatha Raisin and her character could carry the weakest of stories, but this one is a real corker! A petty police officer is brutally murdered and Agatha is simultaneously a suspect of the police and a target of the real killers. There is danger and intrigue and the usual complement of colorful Cotswold characters, but the best part of the book is Agatha and her blossoming friendships. She is on a real voyage of self-discovery and each book sees her more in touch with herself and more connected to (and dependent on) the people around her. Thankfully she has not lost any of her bad habits, nor her wicked sense of humor, and just when you think she's won control of her hormones, there's a handsome newcomer in the village...

I love Agatha Raisin, and am always excited when a new book comes out. This is a good one for sure. In it we have Agatha and her crew investigating a series of really gruesome deaths. It takes them all over the place, including Las Vegas. As they bumble along they uncover a sophisticated theft ring, bent coppers and fledgling meth labs. What fun! And through it all we have the intrepid Agatha. She is a wonderful character that I have come to enjoy through Ms. Beaton's many books. She is still truly the Queen of the Village Cozy genre. And I love being along for the ride.

I'm a fan of M.C. Beaton, but this book seems to have been cobbled together with very little thought or effort. The plot meanders all over the place, characters flit in and out for no reason and Beaton's writing, which normally makes me chuckle, has lost its sparkle. There are also some real bloopers, including Simon's parents apparently raised from the dead and the fact that Toni, at 18, wouldn't have been allowed to gamble in a Las Vagas casino. Agatha has also turned into a harridan, losing the vulnerability that made her appealing. In most Agatha Raisin books, we're cheering for Agatha to win the day, but here it hardly seems to matter.

The acerbic Cotswold detective Agatha Raisin has been accused of many things, but they are usually associated with her being short-tempered, sharp-tongued and eccentric. Now she's accused of murder, all because of being served a ticket by the village's most unpopular police officer for blowing her nose in her car in a line of traffic. Officer Gary Beech, whose attitude exceeds Agatha at her worst, had already irked several other local residents, and he confronted Agatha on a bad day. A few days later, he ticketed her a second time for going two miles over the speed limit, which caused her to stomp into a village shop and announce to one and all, "I'd like to kill him! May he roast slowly over a spit in hell!"

The following weekend at the annual village pig roast, Agatha was standing near the barbeque pit when the grill was opened. She did a double take when she saw the main course, slowly roasting on a spit with the tattoo of a heart and the name "Amy" printed on the haunch. It looked less like a pig than a human body, sans head and legs, with a pig's head sewn carefully in place.

And so begins another Agatha Raisin mystery, complete with her quirky house guests, ex-boyfriends and ex-husband, tenuous friendships with neighbors, employees, snooty members of the women's club and the local police force. Most of her income comes from staking out philandering husbands or tracking down minor thieves. When she does snag a bona-fide murder or large theft, she's usually the detective, not the suspect, and glad of the challenge. She quickly proved that although she, along with about half the village, would cheerfully have murdered Officer Beech, she had a perfectly good alibi.

The "Amy" of the tattoo on the murdered man turns out to be the victim's widow, and she hires Agatha to find the killer. Agatha and her team of private investigators set out to solve a crime that becomes much bigger and more serious than anyone, including the local police, had imagined.

M.C. Beaton is as curt and brief on words as her character. She is as to-the-point in her writing as Agatha is in her crime solving, and as an author can be counted on to cut to the chase. No frilly décor descriptions or long, psychological musings on motive or personal appearance. Her characters dress for the weather, not for fashion, and her spare and witty dialogue moves the story along at a page-turning pace.

AS THE PIG TURNS is a quick, lively read. If you haven't yet experienced the prickly and amusing Agatha Raisin, these crisp fall weekends are just the time to curl up with a cozy murder mystery with a kick.

Reviewed by Roz Shea

I love Agatha Raisin and her character could carry the weakest of stories, but this one is a real corker! A petty police officer is brutally murdered and Agatha is simultaneously a suspect of the police and a target of the real killers. There is danger and intrigue and the usual complement of colorful Cotswold characters, but the best part of the book is Agatha and her blossoming friendships. She is on a real voyage of self-discovery and each book sees her more in touch with herself and more connected to (and dependent on) the people around her. Thankfully she has not lost any of her bad habits, nor her wicked sense of humor, and just when you think she's won control of her hormones, there's a handsome newcomer in the village...

I love Agatha Raisin, and am always excited when a new book comes out. This is a good one for sure. In it we have Agatha and her crew investigating a series of really gruesome deaths. It takes them all over the place, including Las Vegas. As they bumble along they uncover a sophisticated theft ring, bent coppers and fledgling meth labs. What fun! And through it all we have the intrepid Agatha. She is a wonderful character that I have come to enjoy through Ms. Beaton's many books. She is still truly the Queen of the Village Cozy genre. And I love being along for the ride.

I'm a fan of M.C. Beaton, but this book seems to have been cobbled together with very little thought or effort. The plot meanders all over the place, characters flit in and out for no reason and Beaton's writing, which normally makes me chuckle, has lost its sparkle. There are also some real bloopers, including Simon's parents apparently raised from the dead and the fact that Toni, at 18, wouldn't have been allowed to gamble in a Las Vagas casino. Agatha has also turned into a harridan, losing the vulnerability that made her appealing. In most Agatha Raisin books, we're cheering for Agatha to win the day, but here it hardly seems to matter.

An admission here, I am addicted to mysteries, ever since I first read Dorothy Sayers (still my favorite, I don't think she can be duplicated), Helen MacInnes PD James, and Josephine Tey. And I am quite enamored of her Hamish Macbeth series, but, when I need a quick fix, that main character who is sometimes ornery and slightly rude and even a bit unconventional the reader can't really do better than Agatha. A petulant nosey-body, at turns vain and waspish about her age, loving one second and indifferent as an iceberg the next one could say Agatha has had a most unlikely sleuthing career. Part of her appeal is Beaton's very sure hand, she is the queen of economical storytelling, no long drawn out settings and character development for her, she can cut an indelible figure of any character with a few well placed jabs, adjectives or an arch comment from Agatha. It is impossible to dislike this irascible sleuth, and she is a quick read, thanks to the superior flow of the storyline. I may still long for another Sayers but there is room for a Beaton and her Agatha as well and we are all the better for it.

If the story gets a bit involved, and this one does, much like careening around hairpin turns, Beaton is doing her narrative hijinks without involved CSI and techie talk, nor does she bog it down with layers of investigative niceties none of the readers have - you have as much of a chance to puzzle it out as Agatha does. And that is a nice throw back to Sherlock and Wimsey and Poirot. Instinct sleuthing you could call it, and knowing the human heart, what more could anyone want? Sherlock for cool brilliance, Wimsey for endearing puffery, Poirot the soul of exacting civility ... and then there is Agatha Raison, hyper-practical, profane, and like the others, imbued with a relentless curiosity.

A last comment, although I do not think Beaton trades in social or cultural or political issues I have noticed in this one that Agatha's quite caustic, even biting, comments are so on target and surgically placed that it simply made her very real, and not the figment of a cosy-heroine; keep it up Ms Beaton!

I expected to enjoy this novel, the first I've read by Beaton. So I was startled not to find even one likable character in the first 50 pages. Perhaps likability is too much to ask of cardboard...

I thought, OK, the "detective" (Raisin) is a mean-spiritedand loathsome idiot, so perhaps we're supposed to identify with one of her colleagues. No. Well, then, perhaps a client? A victim? No and no.

I also never quite found a plot, though in despair I skipped to the last few chapters, hoping to locate a wrap-up that would show me where to look for one. Nothing and nowhere.

One part of the book did strike horror in my soul: the flyleaf. Beaton has supposedly been dubbed The Queen of Crime, published dozens of books, and "divides her time between Paris and the English Cotswolds," apparently living high on the hog (forgive the pun on her title) on the proceeds of books such as these.

The brash PI Agatha Raisin is being bullied by an overweight police officer, Gary Beech; he keeps ticketing her for minor infractions. While attending the pig roast at Winter Parva, she discovers that the pig on the rotating spit is actually the corpse of a naked man whose feet, arms and head have been chopped off. Agatha learns that the dead man is Gary Beech; his ex-wife, Amy Richards, hires Agatha to locate his killer. Unfortunately, Amy is found stabbed to death in the parking lot of Tesco's supermarket. When a vicious serial killer begins targeting her employees and friends, Agatha's life becomes a nightmarish soap opera--a soap opera that should be titled "As the Pig Turns."

I must presume, after reading my first Agatha Raisin mystery, that this best-selling series is M. C. Beaton's dark-humored homage to Agatha Christie. With her multiple vices of drinking, smoking and man chasing, Agatha appears to be an ultramodern, out-of-control version of Miss Marple. Agatha is a boisterous, meddlesome, unorthodox divorcée who has solved many crimes throughout the cozy British village of Carsely in the Cotswolds. Detective Parry Hyler of the Las Vegas Police Department summed her up best when he referred to her as a "ball-breaking old trout." When angry, she likes to shout, "Snakes and bastards!" I laughed out loud throughout this fast-paced novel that was surprising violent, action packed and gory for a cozy mystery.

There are innumerable characters constantly flitting in and out of the complex, soap opera-like plot for "As the Pig Turns." Character development was sparse. Honestly, sometimes I did get the players, mostly the men, confused. Agatha Raisin is surrounded by quite a few male employees and potential suitors. (Even Agatha's ex-husband, James Lacey, a war veteran, conveniently lives next door to her; he sometimes accompanies her on one of her unlawful breaking-and-entering escapades.) Though I believe "As the Pig Turns" can be read as a standalone, it would best be enjoyed by readers who are more familiar with the characters--readers who have been steadfast, loyal fans. I hope to become one such fan.

The book, especially near the beginning, contained numerous typos, which annoyed and distracted me; readers may complain that the typos hindered their suspension of disbelief. This should not be a reflection on the author who created a very unique storyline--a type of cozy/crime drama. It has plenty of stabbings, kidnappings and cases of mistaken identity. "As the Pig Turns" is perfect for someone, like me, who enjoys cozies that are hilarious but have enough violence and intrigue to maintain a fast pacing. There is also romance. PI Toni Gilmour is a young Agatha Raisin in training who is being pursued by two men: the much older, possessive Paul Finley and a former coworker, the spoiled, unfocused Simon Black. Agatha, meanwhile, schemes to seduce a handsome gardener, George Marston, who has just moved into her neighborhood.

M. C. Beaton's legion of fans will most definitely enjoy her latest Agatha Raisin mystery, "As the Pig Turns." Newcomers to the series, such as myself, will be pleasantly surprised by this unique cozy; however, I recommend that they write a list of the numerous characters in order to prevent confusion. Fans of Agatha Raisin will also want to read Parnell Hall's Puzzle Lady series featuring Cora Felton--the latest installment being "The KenKen Killings" (The KenKen Killings: A Puzzle Lady Mystery). Agatha and Cora are so similar that it is frightening. Stars of two highly celebrated cozy series, both man-crazy, irreverent divorcées make me laugh with their detective shenanigans. Since Agatha Raisin is the lead character for twenty-two novels and Cora Felton for only twelve, I would venture to speculate that Cora Felton is America's response to Agatha Raisin.

Joseph B. Hoyos

Yes, I too have read all the Agatha Raisin books and continue to look forward to the next by M.C. Beaton. In my opinion, this was one of the better books in this series. At first when I read of the way Officer Gary Beech was murdered I said to myself, " oh no, don't tell me this is going to be more of a gruesome mystery rather than a cozy." Fortunately, the author directed the reader away from the awfulness of the murder and back to our usual gang of characters in the Cotswold world of Agatha.

I enjoy Agatha's "drop by" friends (Roy, Bill Wong, Charles) supporting her in their own way during the story. Mrs. Bloxby is close at hand as well. Agatha seemed to be more down to earth regarding her relationship with her ex-husband (and next door neighbor)James Lacey. She appeared to have definitely matured from her former flighty self to one that can develop friendships.

Agatha actually acknowledges her faults regarding her interference between Toni Gilmour & Simon Black. Simon's wedding day was in a complete shambles due to Simon's immaturity in dealing with the issues at hand. All of this chaos could have been avoided if Agatha had kept out of their personal business. But in this book Agatha realizes the fault of her ways and attempts to make amends.

The author ties up loose strings towards the end of the book with Simon coming back to work for her at the detective agency. The whole office agrees that although he did betray Agatha (and the entire detective agency) he should be given another chance. Toni, Patrick & Mrs. Freedman realize that they need his intuitiveness as well as his assistance since they were overloaded with cases.

I was happy to learn about the new gardener/carpenter in the Cotswold, George Marston. He already has a place in restoring Agatha's garden and possibly finding a place in her heart. Of all coincidence it appears that James Lacey and George Marston have much in common besides Agatha...they were both active in the armed services...and with this the author let's us know where the next Agatha Raisin mystery will begin. Oh happy day!

Of course I recommend this book to all lovers of cozies.
Ellen

M.C. Beaton has given Agatha Raisin a niche in cozies set in quaint English villages (my favourites), and so far I haven't read one that has disappointed me. Agatha is not perfect, and that makes her different from other heroines. She shows her jealousy and sometimes plain envy, but the reader doesn't dislike her... in fact, we agree with her and know that life is not perfect even if someone lives in a cozy and beautiful thatched-roof cottage in the heart of the Cotswolds Hills.
"As the Pig Turns" is another pleasant story to read on a rainy afternoon, or sitting under an umbrella in the beach.

As with all Agatha Raisin stories there is an undercurrent of private life running through, but not to the extent it interferes with the plot. The gruesome crime in this novel didn't give me nightmares because there was so much else going on I wasn't forced to dwell on it at length. Agatha manages, in spite of herself at times, to solve the crimes with honest human endeavors. Another enjoyable page turner.

This is a grizzly tale that confounds the reader until the last minute. Agatha goes to a weekend fete and inadvertantly notices that the pig on the spit has the head of a man... who could it be? Meanwhile, Toni and Simon get snatched... are the three related? Agatha turns down Janes for dinner - how is that possible? And so it goes. One little treat after another. Don't miss this Beaton book.

This was my introduction to the world of Agatha Raisin, a cantankerous, obstinate, opinionated busybody and, to be honest, not a very nice person overall!

Though she does have some good traits such as loyalty to her friends and employees.

She also has a knack of being in the right place at the right time, for instance when a pig is being roasted she is the only one to realise that it's not a pig but a man .... she also discovers a body in an unusual place.

I really enjoyed listening to this story and I did come to like Agatha's bustling nosiness and her vulnerabilities. The story moves along at a steady pace, it was never boring and I found it easy to follow.

I shall be reading more of this entertaining series.

Finally, "As the Pig Turns" marks a return of decent and believable plotting and writing in this latest installment in the Agatha Raisin series. Second bananas Charles and Roy pop in and out in their usual fictional revolving door, but their presences seem less jarring. As I read, I marveled at (and was deeply relieved) to discover that Beaton seems to have abandoned her clumsy dabblings into pyschopathology and too many homicides in her narrative. "As the Pig Turns" features only one death and a good dollop of menace as Agatha and her staff labor to unravel the mystery. If Beaton keeps this renaissance up, I may have to begin loving the series again -- and I won't be sorry.

This is my first exposure to the author and I was not overly impressed. This in not my usual genre and I tire of authors trying too hard to create quirky characters. Somewhere along the line, being outrageous is supposed to equate with humor. In addition to implausible characters, the plot was weak and contrived. The book failed to generate any emotion in me at all. It was a time filler. I should have known by reading the silly title. I won't be a return reader.

"But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers," -- 1 Timothy 1:8-9 (NKJV)

Agatha Raisin is a most original character, whose persistence and vulnerability to her romantic illusions make her appealing despite her unlovely personal style. An increasing weakness of the series is that M. C. Beaton isn't providing enough room for our Agatha to grow and develop as a character. The other characters in the series, with the exception of Mrs. Bloxby and Bill Wong, don't wear as well, and they add more familiarity than strength to this book.

The good news is that there's a decent mystery that isn't all that easy to solve in As the Pig Turns. Otherwise, this book would certainly be a three star effort.

If you are a devoted Agatha Raisin fan, I think you'll be reasonably pleased with this one.

I particularly liked the focus on Agatha trying to be more careful in her relations with Toni. This aspect of the story offered promise for a potentially changed relationship in future stories that could add new depth to the series.

I've read the entire series. All was well until the last four or so. The writing had gone downhill and I couldn't even finish one of the titles. Fortunately I didn't give up as Ms Beaton's latest book is up to the standards of the first dozen or so. Agatha has chilled out over the years but I can't understand how I was once younger than she is and now I'm older. Oh, well!

Have never read any Agatha Raisin and picked up this CD set at the local library mainly because I like Penelope Keith who is the reader, and without my glasses and being in a hurry, I thought it was Agatha Christie-ish. The writing is very poor - how many times are Agatha's "bear-like eyes" mentioned? What? She is supposed to be a successful detective but she is often snivelling and hiding out in her cottage, and is otherwise busy smoking, drinking, and being obnoxiously bossy and only her staff actually do any detective work. When she is finally out doing fieldwork and it starts to rain, she complains and wants to go home. She does not come across as being intelligent in any way. A glaring error was Toni, 18-years old and gambling in a Las Vegas casino. A good fact-checker should know that 21 is the minimum casino gambling age in the USA. And just how did Agatha get from the Cotswolds to Vegas in a matter of hours? Just not possible, even with the time difference.
What could have been an entertaining story was just not explored and imagined to the full potential. Maybe I need to have read the rest of this series to appreciate the characters better. Sorry M.C.Beaton fans - I really wanted to like it!

I HAVEN'T READ A AGATHA RAISIN BOOK YET THAT I DIDN'T ENJOY. AND AS THE PIG TURNS IS NO EXCEPTION. I COULDN'T MAKE UP MY MIND WHO DID IT. VERY ENJOYABLE READING. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEW ONE IN SEPT. TO COME OUT.

An interesting story, but the style of writing wasn't to my taste. If you're a fan of "cozy" mysteries you'll like this. I tend to prefer romance mysteries or hardcore mysteries.

Received through Goodreads giveaway

Agatha is once more discovers a body in a horrible way. And there are more bodies, Simon goes to war and returns Roy, Charles, James, Mrs. Blocky and the detective agency keep the story very interesting.

I enjoyed the book but I was very disappointed in the fact that there was a mjor flaw in Simon's story. IN Busy Body his parents were deceased and in this book they are alive. The rest of the story line was good.

I rated this story as five because it was exciting and fun. All of her regular characters are there but seem to be sharper and more real. The storyline was much better than it has been recently . Beaton is my favorite author and I would have to say that this is my favorite story that she has done.

This is a grizzly tale that confounds the reader until the last minute. Agatha goes to a weekend fete and inadvertantly notices that the pig on the spit has the head of a man... who could it be? Meanwhile, Toni and Simon get snatched... are the three related? Agatha turns down Janes for dinner - how is that possible? And so it goes. One little treat after another. Don't miss this Beaton book.

Very good balance of suspense, intrigue and comedy. Some A R stories are annoying but this one is very entertaining and well paced, not getting hung up on any element that would get to the point of annoyance. I enjoyed the discipline Agatha has found to keep herself from obsessing over certain men, and tamp down her tendency to meddle in others lives. Her inner dialogue regarding all this is refreshing to hear. I wholeheartedly recommend this one, as a thoroughly enjoyable experience, worthy of your time.

Agatha is back in action with all the regulars making an appearance. There is character growth here and a good who dunnit of another unlikeable Cotswold character. The book makes me long for a neighbor hood pub and gardener for my poor neglected backyard.

Agatha Raisin is very human, and M.C. Beaton never hesitates to make her that way, not like some heroines that are almost flawless, thus not believable. The story itself is well plotted and one passes the time thinking about it and trying to guess whodunit.
Highly recommended!

M.C. Beaton has given Agatha Raisin a niche in cozies set in quaint English villages (my favourites), and so far I haven't read one that has disappointed me. Agatha is not perfect, and that makes her different from other heroines. She shows her jealousy and sometimes plain envy, but the reader doesn't dislike her... in fact, we agree with her and know that life is not perfect even if someone lives in a cozy and beautiful thatched-roof cottage in the heart of the Cotswolds Hills.
"As the Pig Turns" is another pleasant story to read on a rainy afternoon, or sitting under an umbrella in the beach.